TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Six months after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her Catalina Foothills home, the Pima County Sheriff's Department is releasing new details from two ransom notes sent in Feburary.
Nancy Guthrie was last confirmed at her Catalina Foothills residence on the evening of Jan. 31, 2026.
Pima County Sheriff's Department is for the first time publicly detailing the contents of two ransom notes sent to media outlets in the weeks after she vanished, including a claim that she died in captivity.
Here is the initial statement the department sent out on Friday:
Nancy Guthrie Investigation Update: Video & Ransom Note Details 1/3 pic.twitter.com/O0HDb8asMX
— Pima County Sheriff's Department (@PimaSheriff) July 31, 2026
Sheriff's officials say two ransom notes were sent to local and national media outlets in the weeks after Guthrie disappeared. KGUN9 received the first note on Feb. 3.
The first note, addressed to Guthrie's daughter Savannah, claimed Guthrie was being held for ransom and demanded $4 million in bitcoin be paid by 5 p.m. on a Thursday, warning the amount would rise to $6 million if that deadline passed. The note claimed Guthrie would be killed if payment wasn't received by a second deadline and warned against contacting law enforcement.
Note 1 is below. 2/3 pic.twitter.com/2Zyoz5agwG
— Pima County Sheriff's Department (@PimaSheriff) July 31, 2026
A second message, addressed to the Guthrie family and received Feb. 6, claimed Guthrie died shortly after being taken, saying her captors did not "fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition" and believed the death was heart-related. The message claimed Guthrie was buried and that nothing the family could have done would have changed the outcome.
Note 2 is below. 3/3 pic.twitter.com/T7hAro0ebR
— Pima County Sheriff's Department (@PimaSheriff) July 31, 2026
Investigators say the notes show distinctive patterns in word choice, syntax and phrasing that could be recognizable to someone who knows the writer.
"A friend, family member, coworker, classmate, or acquaintance may recognize these patterns of expression and possess information that could help identify the individual responsible," the sheriff's department said in its release.
Sheriff's officials acknowledged that people with knowledge of the case may be hesitant to come forward due to relationships with those involved or concerns about their own safety or reputation.
"It is not too late to come forward," the release states. "Regardless of how insignificant you think your information may be, or whether you think we are already aware of it, please contact us."
Investigators are asking anyone who may recognize the man in the doorbell video to watch for changes in his behavior around the time of the videos, including shifts in mood, changes in physical appearance, unexplained injuries, missed work or appointments, sudden departures from the area, vehicle cleaning or repairs, or unusual interest or disinterest in Guthrie's neighborhood or the investigation itself.
KGUN 9 will have the latest on the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case.
